Wormsloe State Historic Site

There are many beautiful places to visit in Georgia, and Wormsloe State Historic Site is one of them. Upon arrival, you are greeted by a building that serves as the visiting center, featuring some artifacts and a brief history of the place. Within the visitor center, you have the option to walk the 1.5-mile road leading to the main attractions, or you can take a shuttle. In the summertime, I highly recommend taking the shuttle.

History of Wormsloe

Wormsloe is located on land that was part of the ancestral territory of the Mvskoke (Muscogee) people, who inhabited the Southeastern region of North America for thousands of years. Among them were the Yamacraw, a group of Mvskoke-Creek who lived along the Georgia coast, including the area known as Yamacraw Bluff—now part of Savannah. When General James Oglethorpe arrived in 1733 to establish the Georgia colony, he was welcomed by Yamacraw Chief Tomochichi. Noble Jones, one of the original settlers, arrived shortly after and would later establish the Wormsloe estate in 1736.

Since the establishment of the plantation in 1730s, some portion of the original Wormsloe property has remained in the hands of Jones’ descendants. Noble Jones, a friend of James Oglethorpe, was born in Lambeth, England in 1701 and one of the first settlers to come to Georgia in 1733.  Jones served in a variety of roles for the young colony, including carpenter, physician, surveyor, soldier, member of the royal council, and justice of the province. James Oglethorpe also appointed Jones, “Agent for the Indians,” and asked him to work as an agent for Yamacraw Chieftain Tomochichi.

As settlers could not purchase land in the colony, Jones leased 500 acres of land from the Georgia Trustees in 1736. Located roughly ten miles southeast Savannah, Jones completed construction on his fortified tabby home, Wormsloe (originally spelled “Wormslow”) in 1745. The fortified house was used as an outpost for a company of marines commanded by Jones, to patrol Savannah’s outer defenses in case of an attack from the Spanish. During the War of Jenkins’ Ear (1739-1748), Jones aided Oglethorpe during the British siege of St. Augustine. Jones and his scouts provided key intelligence to Oglethorpe to defeat the Spanish on St. Simons Island at the Battle of Bloody Marsh. In 1756, King George II formally granted Jones the ownership of Wormsloe. During the 1750s, Jones oversaw the cultivation rice, indigo, and silk at Wormsloe Plantation. Throughout the Trustees Period of Georgia’s history (1732-1752) and after Oglethorpe’s departure to Great Britain, Jones was a constant supporter of the King and held several offices in the colony. This placed him in opposition to his son, Noble Wymberly Jones, who supported the patriot cause during the American Revolution.  When Jones died in 1775, Wormsloe passed first to his daughter, Mary, and later to his son, Noble Wymberly Jones.

In 1750, the first Noble Jones purchased seven enslaved people, and between 1773 and 1859, at least 1,500 are known to have labored at Wormsloe and other family landholdings. Enslaved people cultivated the corn, hay, cowpeas, and cotton. Some of the descendants lived at Wormsloe into the 20th century. Among them was Frank Jenkins Jr., who worked as butler and groundskeeper before leaving to become a minister and organizer throughout Southeast Georgia

Here are a few pictures I would like to share. Click each picture to enlarge.